Tarus backs Wafalme Stars to garner good results in CAVB Zone 5 African Games

The Kenya men's volleyball team; Wafalme Stars head coach Gideon Tarus has exuded confidence in his charges' abilities ahead of the CAVB Zone 5 African Games which serves off on January 22 in Egypt.

The team will be looking to get back to the continental games for the first time since the 2011 finals held in Maputo, Mozambique where they clinched bronze. Since then, they have not registered good results.

This time around, Tarus will be looking to make their efforts count.

Speaking to Mozzart Sport, the tactician noted that they were meticulously sharpening their claws in readiness for the challenge that lay ahead.

"Training is going well and all players are ready for the championship," Tarus offered.

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Tarus who also doubles up as the General Service Unit (GSU) tactician further noted that all their efforts were geared at qualifying for the All African Games slated for March 8-24, 2024. Only two teams for both men and women will secure tickets for the Accra extravaganza.

"Our main target is to qualify. We have put all our efforts to ensure the dream comes true," the tactician told Mozzart Sport.

The tactician revealed that the team will undergo more extensive training sessions under the supervision of the able technical bench. Tarus will be assisted by Elisha Aliwa and Dennis Mokua. Former Malkia Strikers star Brackcides Khadambi will serve as the Team Manager for the team.

"We are doing an all-round training to ensure the boys are ready. At the moment, we will not focus on any specific areas," he averred.

The squad was also trimmed to 16 players. The team will undergo a further purge to have 14 players who will represent the country in the qualifiers. The final 14-man squad will be announced this week.

The GSU gaffer is not new to this challenge. In 2021 when he was first named the Wafalme head coach, he was tasked with preparing the team for the Africa Nations Championship in Rwanda. With less than 10 days of preparations for the bi-annual event, it was surprising to see the team pull off a historic win in the continental showpiece against Egypt.

He has led the team on various occasions including the Africa Men's Nations Cup played in Egypt from September 1-15, 2023.